The Bush Proposal (Interesting article by Linda Chavez on the Immigration Proposal)

Town Hall ^ | Jan 8, 2004 | Linda Chavez

[PhiKapMom]

The Bush proposal

Linda Chavez

January 8, 2004

President Bush announced a sweeping new immigration reform proposal this week that could become a hot-button issue in the November election. For months, insiders have hinted that the president would propose a new guest worker program aimed at allowing more foreign workers into the country on a temporary basis. Widely favored by the American business community, a guest worker program would allow employers to fill jobs in industries that routinely experience shortages of workers willing to do the often difficult, dangerous jobs Americans shun -- at least at wages that allow employers to remain in business.

But the guest worker provisions won't be the most controversial part of the administration's new proposal. Although some groups that want to limit immigration altogether -- such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) -- oppose guest worker plans, even such staunch restrictionists as Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) are on record supporting the idea of guest workers. The real battle will be over what to do with those millions of illegal aliens who are already here.

Some 8-12 million illegal aliens reside in the United States now -- up three- or four-fold from a decade ago. An estimated 60 percent of these are from Mexico alone, and it is no accident that the Bush plan was announced in anticipation of the president's meeting with his Mexican counterpart, President Vicente Fox, next week. The White House announced less than a week before the Fox meeting that millions of illegal aliens from Mexico and elsewhere will be allowed, over time, to earn legal status in the U.S., so long as they have been working continuously, paid taxes and not broken other laws. The plan will impose some penalties on these workers -- most likely fines similar to those proposed in legislation sponsored by Republican Representatives Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe and Senator John McCain, all from Arizona.

These proposals may not offer perfect justice -- who can blame those who resent rewarding "line jumpers" with legal status while millions of other would-be immigrants wait patiently to enter the country legally. But "earned legalization" is probably the best solution to a largely intractable problem. There is no way that the United States can find and deport 8-12 million illegal aliens in this country, and even if we could, we would do more harm than good.

The American economy depends on these workers, who, along with legal immigrants, contributed significantly to the economic boon of the 1990s. If FAIR could wave a magic wand and make these illegal aliens disappear overnight, the rest of us would suffer by having to pay more for everything from the food we put on the table to the houses in which we live. Our office buildings wouldn't get cleaned, our crops wouldn't get picked, our meat wouldn't get processed, nor our tables cleaned when we go out to eat.

Sure, we could double wages to attract American-born workers to some of these jobs, but at even twice the salary it would be difficult to fill the nastiest of these tasks, like processing poultry. But why would we want American workers, who we've spent trillions of dollars educating for 13 or 14 years, on average, to perform jobs that require only the most minimal skills? Even if we got rid of all illegal aliens in the U.S., these jobs would likely go to foreign workers, like it or not.

What sense does it make to insist that we get rid of the very people doing these jobs now in order to make way for other foreign workers to take them under a new guest worker plan? It makes a lot more sense to figure out how to get those illegal aliens already employed at these jobs to come in from the shadows and become part of the legal system. They should pay a penalty for having broken the law in the first place by sneaking into the country or overstaying their visas, but it is better for all of us if they earn their way toward legal status than remain in the illegal netherworld where they now hide.

Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a Townhall.com member organization.

[PuNcH]

These "illegals" were manufactured by unrealistic immigration laws.

NO they were brought in by non-enforcement and amnesties. We had no significant problem until after the 1986 amnesty.

[futureceo31]

We agree on the concept of closed borders but my understanding was that borders are trying to be closed and local papers in MN, TX and CA are filled with stories of INS stopping illegals and sending them back and they come right back.
The point of the current plan "proposed" by the president is NOT allowing mass migration (though enough people claim it is, but just saying it does not make it fact) but taking care of the current illegals problem in the country. Like I said in previous posts, I favor a moratorium or controlled immigration policy. But then isnt it racist to only want the best and the brighest from the rest of the world to come here to improve our country but not allow the poor to work on jobs that a lot of americans do not want to work on.
As I have said on previous posts, there is not a black and white solution to this problem and the grey area is where we have to compromise and at least try to find a solution.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Oh I agree with you there as well. But that doesn't excuse the other left leaning policies and the gamble they took ,alienating everyone who listened to that speech yesterday. It was a bit too over the top. I watched President Bush say things I know he did not mean, for the first time, and I did not like it.

I don't want the "double reverse psychology" bit all of the time. President Bush allowed himself to be open to ridicule , because he is going to be seen as back peddling when Toncredo and supporters "show up", and the left will have a field day.

I do not agree with the strategy. At some point President Bush is going to have to stand up for the moderates and conservatives, and do so in public.

I still believe he is a patriotic Conservative.. I think he is getting bad advice on this and a few other things, and I am mad about it. Just because I personally like him and think he has done a great job for us with the war, that doesn't mean I HAVE no choice, but to be quiet and to vote for him.

Besides he may be counting on people like me to make a whole bunch of noise right now. In the world of doule reverse , who really knows?

[futureceo31]

I might be mistaken on this but the child has to be a certain age (18 I think) before he/she can request citizenship for the parents. Of course, that does not preculde the fact that I do not think children of illegals should qualify for education but imagine deporting them and facing the wrath of the ACLU and the rest of the liberals calling us racist, bigoted and all the rest....

[kevao]

THEN DO SOMETHING. Do something about it in your community. Tell your local businesses that you will not stand for it.

Listen, I don't have subpoena power to go into local businesses to find out which ones are employing illegals or not. This is a LAW ENFORCEMENT issue.

How many of your local business have allowed you in to audit their books and to interview their employees? I'd really like to know.

[PhiKapMom]

Actually it is my fault because I missed #162 as well and only saw the Moron part which I thought was unnecessary and only way to clean up these threads and keep them reasonable.

Am really tired of getting on threads and seeing people called names and all the animosity that comes out of that. Am determined to not let that happen when there is really good discourse going on like on this thread from both sides.

You can always agree to disagree and with that comes some very interesting ideas and comments instead of anger like are posted on here.

That was my point in complaining -- no name calling!

[futureceo31]

At least you are making your voice heard and reasoning facts but still understanding that we have a great president who has always shown that he wants to do the right thing for our country as a whole. Wish others who are castigating him would give him some credit and look at the facts and present their solutions, and get their views heard instead of making absurd statements that could assure in someone like Dean or Clark....

[kellynla]

"No problemo"...working on my Spanish since I'll have to if I expect to remain in Mexifornia. LOL

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Then complain to the Justice Department, your senators and congressman, as well as your local law enforcement.

[futureceo31]

Aint any better here in Florida where you cannot even get a job in southern florida if you do not know spanish. But then cannot beat Hawaii where I was in a store once and a japanese came up to me and started speaking in japanese expecting me to respond to his questions..

[ArGee]

These proposals may not offer perfect justice -- who can blame those who resent rewarding "line jumpers" with legal status while millions of other would-be immigrants wait patiently to enter the country legally.

My problem is that justice is not easily compromised without being compromised. I know it sounds redundant, but once you've told the world that rule-breakers will be rewarded rather than being punished how do you convince them that in only applies here?

My suggestion would be to only allow those who "come in" under the new program, but to treat everyone already here as the criminals they are. Of course, if they leave voluntarily and then apply under the new program, we wouldn't know would we? I think the bulk of the illegals would deport themselves, then come right back for their current jobs.

Shalom.

[petercooper]

There is now way this country will deport 12 million people.

One at a time my friend, one at a time...

[PuNcH]

My question is then who determines lower and higher wages. Do you want the federal government to do that?

American society can determine that. Not global society. Not mexican society. America.

We can agree to come together and live peacefully under the constitution and none else.

[kevao]

I agree with you. Those illegals converted to legals and be now be "overpriced" for the employers now will lead to a new influx of illegals.

The intelligent illegals won't register for this program. They'll just snatch away the best jobs from the morons who do register by underpricing them.

And, in the end, all the registered illegals who don't find work in the formal economy will, far from returning to their home country like some suckers on FR believe, just slip back into the informal economy and be no worse off than they are now.

[cyncooper]

Ping for the sensible.

[Wait4Truth]

I agree with you. We DO have a great President. He is trying to deal with a very tough problem while avoiding the total amnesty that the Dems want. The Dems were going to propose something a heck of a lot worse and I'm glad the President stepped in first. I think there are good reasons why he decided to tackle this now. Also, I keep thinking about the fact that President Reagan is a glorified icon here on FR (I love him, too)- yet he gave a total amnesty in 1986, I believe. I see no hatred for him here about that. That's why I question how many of the people here trashing President Bush are truly Republicans in the first place. I think we have many here that are DU transplants sent to cause as much trouble as possible.

[Trust but Verify]

Perhaps you missed the part about employers being required to show they cannot get Americans to take the jobs before offering them to guest workers.

You just refuse to admit there are some jobs Americans just will not do. (There are some exceptions to every rule, of course)

[hershey]

She has a point, but what do we do to keep the country from being swamped with more and more illegals? And why would most want to return after six years to a country they'd left at such risk...to go back to grinding poverty and/or oppression? Wouldn't it be more likely that millions more would migrate north asap? This seems all but insoluble unless Mexico and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere gets its act together socially and economically.

[futureceo31]

If I am not mistaken, there are strict penalties for employers who hire illegals in the proposed legislation. I would be out there with signs demanding this if that is the case...:) So then it becomes an employer problem and not an illegal problem complelty correct?

[swarthyguy]

Just a bit of brevity.....

Will illegals who are smokers be allowed in too?

At least here in Mass, many illegals can get fairly decent health care. I know first hand. And, 18 year old girls have babies, so voila, the promised land beckons.